The World Economic Forum (WEF) published a new edition of its Energy Transition Index (ETI)which evaluates the progress made by 120 countries around the world, including Colombia.
Regarding the ranking published in 2021, Sweden remains the best positioned country in energy transition. Then Denmark, Norway, Finland and Switzerland appear to complete the Top 5.
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Santiago Saldarriaga/El Tiempo
While there has been extensive progress in clean and sustainable energy, there are emerging challenges
This study measures the efficiency of national energy systems and the preparation of each country towards cleaner energy. “While there has been extensive progress in clean and sustainable energy, there are emerging challenges to the fairness of the transition, as countries have shifted their focus towards energy security,” the WEF noted.
In recent years, Colombia has been registering a setback in energy transition. While in 2020 it was ranked 25th in this index, in 2021 it fell to box 29 and this year it is ranked 39th.
It is now the sixth country in Latin America and the Caribbean in energy transition, surpassed by Brazil, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Chile and Paraguay. Three years ago Colombia ranked first in the region.
His total score on the ETI was 60.5lower than the 66 it obtained in the 2021 ranking. The lowest scores were in innovation (25.8), infrastructure (47.6) and finance and investment (49.4).
Although in regulation and political commitment it obtained a score of 65.2, it is worth noting that in political stability it obtained 3.58 in a range of one to seven. The highest score in what was received in education and human capital, with 72.5.
Regarding the performance of the system, which refers to the characteristics and functioning of the energy system of each countryColombia obtained a score of 55.8 for equity, 68.4 for security and 72.5 for sustainability.
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Has Colombia’s energy transition stalled?
Although since 2018 Colombia began its path towards the energy transition with the entry of small-scale solar and wind energy to its generation matrix, today large projects are delayed due to the different problems they face.
In 2019, the first renewable energy auction was held and Unconventional renewable projects were allowed, for the first time in history, to receive Reliability Charge awards.
In these two processes, 15 initiatives won (nine wind and five solar), but four years later none have been able to enter into commercial operation. They present significant delays due to the social conflicts that persist in the regions and difficulties in environmental procedures.
(Also read: An energy transition plan is urgently needed)
Enel Green Power’s La Loma solar park.
According to SER Colombia, between 2023 and 2024, 80 projects totaling 3,330 megawatts must begin to operate; however, 65 percent (52 projects) register delays in their construction.
Due to the multiple difficulties that are registered, to date Colombia alone has more than 410 megawatts of solar and wind powerwhich represents 2.1 percent of the generation matrix.
But if the wind and solar projects that won in the 2019 auctions had already come into operation, Colombia would have approximately 2,800 additional megawatts.
By 2027, XM projects that the country will have a capacity close to 32,000 megawatts, of which, more than 11,000 megawatts will be from non-conventional renewable energy.
